Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What I Loved About Last Week (34th Ed.)

1. I made a new Parmesan cheese bread and the children all raved about it.

2. Our parish is starting a donut club for the summer. First Son and I went to a daily Mass and then spent an hour in the sunshine with friends enjoying donuts and running around.

3. I saw a shooting star on Thursday night!

4. I made popsicles for the first time this summer. First Son doesn't like them, but the girls will eat almost anything frozen into my popsicle molds so they've been very happy to eat (essentially) frozen fruit for dessert this week.

5. I signed the kids up for swimming lessons. I showed up on the first day because I wanted to get three kids into the same session (same two weeks, back-to-back lessons). Success! Second Daughter is so excited to be going this year, though I have my doubts about whether we'll get our money's worth for a three-year-old. We'll see.

6. Kansas Dad wasn't here to make pancakes on Sunday morning, so I made chocolate butterhorns. (I don't do pancakes.) Oh, chocolate butterhorns are delicious and decadent and I only made two for each of us because I could have eaten ten myself. The rest were frozen and half of them are going to a family that is expecting a baby soon because they cannot stay in my freezer or I will bake them and eat them all.

7. Second Son said, "'Night 'night, [approximation of Second Daughter's name]" So adorable! He also surprises me over and over again with the words he will say. I've said it before, but I really think that boy has been holding out on us. I think he knows how to say everything and just doesn't want to give up being the baby.

8. Second Daughter built a nest for Second Son.


9.  Kansas Dad was out of town and Second Son was still contagious with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. I called a friend and dropped First Son and First Daughter off at church to sit with them. I love that they wanted to go. I love that I could send them to sit with friends.

10. Second Son and Second Daughter with a current favorite past-time:


11. I survived six days and five nights alone with the kids while Kansas Dad was at a conference in New York. At the end of the time, I was reminding myself to offer up all my frustrations as sacrifices for single parents. (It didn't help that we spent the majority of the time cooped up in the house because the kids took turns catching Hand Foot and Mouth Disease and then Second Son's blisters were too painful for him to wear shoes so he couldn't even play outside.) Did you notice What I Loved About Last Week posted late this week? I wanted to be able to say: Kansas Dad is HOME!

I love that man, and not just because he's home to help get the kids to bed and walk the dog and take out the trash and go to the grocery store and put salt in the water softener and respond to the kids who cry during the night and...well, I'll stop now because you're going to start wondering what I do around here. Sometimes I wonder that myself.